It just so happened that for most of my life I've lived in the suburbs.

There's not some finite amount of pain inside us. Our bodies and minds just keep manufacturing more of it.

I don't really distinguish between sympathy and honesty when I'm writing. The two go together - I'm interested in inhabiting my characters, seeing the world through their eyes.

I used to describe myself as a comic novelist, but my concerns seem to have darkened over the past few years.

Because, really, what was worse than lying wide-awake in the dark, watching your life drip away, one irreplaceable minute after another?

I'm used to adapting my novels for feature film - it can be challenging to cut and compress three or four hundred pages into two hours of dramatic action.

My novels are certainly more exciting than my own life.